


The Falling Leaves

by Miss_lestrudel



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: (not real customs just an idea), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dwarf Courting, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-18 20:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3582459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_lestrudel/pseuds/Miss_lestrudel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When dwarves wish to court someone, they learn that person's trade. Bilbo gets confused when his books go missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Falling Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for thilbo-prompt on tumblr it's #21. Enjoy :)

          Courting was something Thorin wasn't very good at. The girls he liked previously enjoyed things such as cooking, sewing, and jewel cutting (and he never was any good at any of them). One girl had even been into sword fighting, which came naturally to Thorin, but things just hadn't worked out. Then Gandalf had hit him with Bilbo Baggins. A soft, round-cheeked hobbit who loved sitting at home and reading a book. He was everything Thorin wasn't. However, that didn't stop him from piquing Thorin's interest. 

          He had kept himself composed throughout the journey, no matter how infuriating it was. He figured that the hobbit wouldn't understand the dwarven custom, or simply would not be interested in the company of such a brooding, rugged king such as himself. It's gotten rather hard to ignore recently, considering the hobbit made Erebor his second home. No one asked him to leave and no one planned to. They would pass in the hallways, exchange smiles and leave it at that. At dinner, Bilbo took most of his conversations to Bofur, leaving Thorin with Balin and Dwalin at the head of the table as usual. He was becoming quite the moderator at heated conferences, keeping Thorin calm and forcing the arguments to go at a gentler pace. Eventually, Thorin pushed past his doubts and attempted to pick up some of the hobbit's hobbies. 

          It started the day Thorin found Bilbo's items strewn across a desk in the library. He spied a book on the table which he hesitantly picked up. The cover read:  _The Falling Leaves by Agatha Birthet_ in fine, golden letters on a brown leather background. He was flicking through the pages when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He flinched and slammed the book shut. He turned to find Balin, who was holding his chest in laughter. 

          "I do believe that's from Bilbo's personal collection." Balin said.

          "I was just curious." Thorin defended at which Balin smirked.

          Thorin felt heat rise to redden his ears. He was a king. He shouldn't be acting like a simple schoolboy younger than even Kili and Fili. Balin chuckled and clapped him on the back.

          "Good luck." He said, grabbing the glasses he had left on the table. "But I do think Bilbo will be wondering why the King has his books."

          The minute Balin left, Thorin's eyes were back on the book. He looked around the room, sighed, and stuffed it in his furs. He shouldn't be stealing.  _No, borrowing_ he convinced himself.

          Thorin hurried away to his chambers, closing the door, and sitting down at his desk. After a few minutes of thinking, he pulled the book from his fur coat and opened it. It was poetry, something Thorin had not read in quite some time. He would read things like this when he was a child, stories and poetry in Khuzdul; however, now that he was King, he spent most -if not all- of his time reading documents and contracts.

          He was almost finished reading when a knock came at the door and his jump nearly flung the book across the room. He breathed and said 'enter' as he quickly stuffed the book away in his desk drawer. Of course, in came Bilbo Baggins. Luckily Thorin had been king long enough to keep his panicking eyes from flicking to the partially-opened drawer. 

          "Master Baggins." He greeted.

          "I was hoping you hadn't forgotten to eat again; Bombur set up outside today." Bilbo smiled.

          Thorin looked out his window at the slowly dimming sky.  _Has it really gotten that late?_

          "Ah, yes I'll be right out."

          Bilbo squinted.  _Mahal, is he noticing my eyes?_

          "See you out there." Bilbo said and closed the door behind him.

          Thorin sighed in relief and finished the last few pages of his-Master Baggins'-book.

* * *

 

          Bilbo had stuffed himself to the brim. He had gotten used to having only two or three rather large meals a day but he still found he could eat with surprising vigor. 

          Bombur had set up outside today as everyone had declared it was the last day until the true winds and snow of winter came. However, most had gone inside after they ate. Oin stayed to examine the last herbs growing and Dwalin stayed to swing his freshly-sharpened axes around. Ori and Nori were also there, laughing when Ori would shoot a pebble near the unsuspecting Oin. A pebble hit his ear horn causing him to shriek in surprise and Ori and Nori to roll in the grass clutching their stomachs in laughter. Thorin stood atop the steps behind Bilbo, probably enjoying the breeze before he had to move back to his paperwork.

          "Like embers falling from the sky." Thorin commented when a gust of wind blew leaves into the air.

          Bilbo nodded, smiling, but scrunched his nose as soon as he recognized the line:  _Like embers falling from the sky after a blazing fire, the leaves fall upon my husband's fateful pyre._ It was a line from one of Bilbo's favorite books: _The Falling Leaves._ Come to think of it, he'd lost that book recently. Could the King have read it? No, it was just a simple book from Hobbiton, surely Thorin wouldn't have the time or interest for it. Bilbo made a mental note to search his room later. 

          "How poetic of you." Bilbo said and he could swear he saw the slightest dust of pink on the King's cheeks.

          "Balin said I wasn't speaking 'regally' enough lately." Thorin chuckled and Bilbo smiled.

          When the King felt as though he sent enough time admiring the view, he sighed.

          "I suppose I should wipe the drool from the documents that were due yesterday." Thorin said and Bilbo laughed.

          He remembered that night, finding the King fast asleep on a pile of papers. He had lifted his head and put a pillow underneath, trying not to disturb him. 

          "Good luck with that." Bilbo said as he watched the dwarf leave.

          Once again, like many times before, he felt a persistent tug in his stomach to follow Thorin. He tried to push it away. After all, no roughened, dwarf king would want a soft, boring hobbit such as himself. However, that didn't stop him from hoping.

* * *

 

          Thorin did not go back to his paper work. In fact, he'd forgotten about it completely. He was too busy sneaking through the hallways, finding his way to the hobbit's bedroom door. His hand paused at the doorknob but he still opened it tentatively. He had only been in the hobbit's room twice. Once, when he had first shown the room to Bilbo, and secondly, the day he was seriously ill and Bilbo forced him to down a cup of tea.  

          The room was very much like a hobbit hole, just as Thorin intended. The door was a deep green and the walls were a warm yellow that reminded him of sunlight. Inside was a plush armchair adjacent to a fireplace and a simple bed in the corner. Two bookshelves were on either side of the fireplace, specially made by Gloin with intricate flower carvings. Thorin made his way to a desk underneath a rounded window. It was littered with various things: papers, pencils, pens, glasses, maps, even a broken picture frame. He felt odd in the room, like he shouldn't be there; and really he shouldn't. He certainly shouldn't be rummaging through Bilbo's maps. He knew the hobbit loved to map, as Bilbo took all of their mapping supplies and squirreled it away in his room.

          He moved to the bookshelves, admiring the leather-bound spines. He tried to memorize a few of the titles, making a note to ask Balin about them in the future. That was when he heard the doorknob jiggle and his heart sank to his stomach.  _You idiot! What were you even thinking, coming in here? What does it accomplish?_ His racing thoughts were interrupted by the surprised squeak from the hobbit.  _Mahal! Why didn't you move?_

"Thorin?" Bilbo questioned, slowly closing the door. 

          "Master Baggins!" Thorin exclaimed, placing his hands behind his back trying to look as regal and confident as he could.

          "I-um-well I honestly didn't expect you to be in here." Bilbo stammered and Thorin could see the hobbit's cheeks burn red as his did the same. 

          "I-er-uh-I"  _Come on you're a King for Mahal's sake._ "Balin told me about the books you brought from the Shire. I was curious of the differences between hobbits and dwarves."

          Bilbo's shoulders seemed to relax at that statement and Thorin held back a sigh of relief. 

          "Oh." Bilbo chuckled nervously. "I didn't take you as one to be interested in literature, especially at this time of day. Don't you have papers to be drying off?"

          "Well if they were at all that interesting I wouldn't have fallen asleep." They laughed. "I have some time; and what do you mean? I read all the time!"

          "Yeah, contracts and treaties."

          Thorin smiled. The hobbit had grown comfortable with the dwarves and brave in his speech. Thorin had gotten used to the hobbit's sass, and actually quite liked it. 

          "Yes well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's curious." He said, pulling a small, dwarvish book from the shelf. 

          It was one of his favorites: _Khuhaju Kunzek._ ( _Warrior of Stone_ ) It was one of the very first books he had ever read; a story about a dwarven warrior who went mad by the loss of his wife and turned to stone. Of course, dwarven culture often had these stories with strange but somewhat sad endings; it was no surprise to Thorin. However, he couldn't imagine the hobbit reading such a tale.

          "Well-er-yes. I've been working on my Khuzdul and I suppose I just- what?" Bilbo stopped talking once he noticed the King's broad smile.

          "This is my old copy." He stated.

          He knew as soon as he opened the cover and saw his name written in crooked Cirth. It was quite beaten up and many of the pages were folded over.

          "Oh. I-um-I just found it. I didn't-"

          "Don't worry yourself." Thorin smirked. "I haven't read it in decades. I didn't even remember I had it."

* * *

 

          After a few long minutes of awkward small talk, Thorin finally left and Bilbo had a minute to breathe. He swore his heart almost gave out as soon as Thorin found that book. He was attempting to learn Khuzdul and figure out the dwarven customs. After all, he'd been living in Erebor for over a year now and everything interested him. He had also hoped his knowledge of dwarves would bring him closer to the King; but now he was embarrassed. Why was the King in his room anyhow? It seemed odd even with the explanation. 

          It was later that day that Bilbo found something even stranger. Thorin sat in dim light at the corner of the library, laboring over a scroll in front of him. Bilbo tiptoed behind him and glanced over Thorin's shoulder. Upon the paper was a rough sketch of rolling hills and winding roads. Bilbo recognized the fences and smials immediately-even if the drawing wasn't high quality-and was reassured when he read  _The Shire_ in clean, ornate letters. He also recognized two of his recently lost books,  _The Falling Leaves_ and  _Atlas: Westeron Edition,_ sitting open next to the map. 

          "I'd wondered where those went." He finally said.

          At that, Thorin jumped from his seat shouting 'Master Baggins!' and tipping the lantern off the table. Bilbo was quick in catching the lantern, but when he stood he found himself a breath away from the King. He backed away and felt the red burning into his cheeks and ears. 

          "Y-You know I've been here for quite some time, you can call me Bilbo." He said after he gathered his thoughts slightly. 

          "Right, uh, Bilbo." Thorin tested. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

          "Shouldn't you?"

          "I was working."

          "With my books?"

          Thorin stared and then clenched his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose as if a painful thought entered his mind. He breathed out.

          "Do you know of dwarven customs?" He struggled.

          "Very little."

          Thorin took a deep breath, thinking over his choice to bring this up now.

          "Trades are very important to dwarves; whether it's shoemaking, smithing, or fighting. Such that it is often a way to show interest in another. Learn the trade, win their heart, that sort of thing." It was now Thorin's ears were growing a bright red but Bilbo stayed silent, hanging on every word. He cleared his throat. "I figured erm-map making and reading was something not too common in Erebor and it was interesting and new and I suppose I never felt-"

          Bilbo stopped Thorin's sentence with his lips and his cheeks burned profusely. He was about to pull away, finally feeling the embarrassment of the situation; but Thorin kept him there, hands holding tighter. He was dumbfounded. A king actually let him, a lowly hobbit from Hobbiton, do something as uncouth as this. After a few moments of the kiss, they pulled away. Bilbo was breathless, feeling almost sick to his stomach that he actually did that. 

          "You were acting like a schoolboy." Bilbo stuttered out, trying to explain himself.

          "That's what Balin thinks." Thorin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, even though he knew himself that he was acting ridiculous.

          Bilbo looked down at his curling toes.

          "So those dwarven customs; Those books aren't interesting at all are they?" He said, nodding to his books.

          "Hardly." Thorin chuckled. "I suppose you folk really are as calm and comforting as they say; much different from dwarven life."

          "Well I decided to stay here anyway didn't I?"

          "You know, that always did confuse me. You're strange for a hobbit, Master Baggins."

          "Bilbo."

          "Right, habit."

          They smiled dumbly at each other before they kissed again, light and brief.

          "Finally!" They heard, and split to finding Kili covering his mouth running away with Fili yelling something about owing him money.

          Bilbo giggled but still covered his face, hiding the embarrassment. Thorin simply waved them off. 

          "I'm going to guess you weren't just curious about Khuzdul, especially after stealing  _my_ copy, burglar." Thorin said, smiling at the last word.

          "I suppose hobbits aren't that much different than dwarves." Bilbo joked and tucked himself in Thorin's embrace.


End file.
